


Here if You Want

by greymatter



Category: Fruits Basket (Anime 2019)
Genre: But I did my best, Drinking, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Sexual Content, Incredibly self indulgent, Slightly OOC for all of them, i also rlly love east village in manhattan, i just got out of a breakup plz let me have this, stereolab is the name of one of my favorite bands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28616856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greymatter/pseuds/greymatter
Summary: Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame go out for dinner together and can't leave the cute bartender/mixologist/cocktologist alone.I don't own any of the characters in this work of fiction besides our OC, Shivy Volta.
Relationships: Sohma Shigure & You, Sohma Shigure/Original Female Character(s), Sohma Shigure/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Here if You Want

Shigure can list three things that he loves off the top of his head right now.

Or, four, if you count his present company.

Alcohol. Which he has consumed quite a bit of since arriving at this restaurant.

Hatori and Ayame; who both take second and third place. They were sitting with him at the bar, enjoying mindless banter and delicious food.

But does anyone know what Shigure loves above all else?

Above alcohol, his beloved(s); Ayame and Hatori, Hatori and Ayame?

A pretty woman.

And he was surrounded by _everything_ he loved right now.

Ayame and Hatori, Hatori and Ayame were sitting on either side of Shigure at a bar. Drinking alcohol. He recalls Ayame (on the left) ordering a Negroni ─ some Italian cocktail that is _grossly_ bitter and unpalatable. Hatori (on the right), however, ordered an Old Fashioned ─ which he learns is a trendy cocktail born in Western Society. There’s something paradoxical about mixing concentrated alcohol with liquor distilled from barley and rye. And on top of that ─ they have the actual _nerve_ to add sugar into the mix. Who comes up with this shit?

Shigure doesn’t give it much thought, because his concentration is on the woman before him now. She’s pretty, he thinks, with her hair pulled into a loose bun at the top of her head. She’s also very skilled at her profession, because she was somehow able to talk him into a drink that tastes of lime juice and pepper. What’s it called, a Last Word? Who’s last word?

“That’s the name of the cocktail.”

Oh, has he been talking out loud this whole time?

“No, you’re just very good at giving yourself away.”

Her knowing giggle is so sweet that Shigure swears all of his teeth just got cavities. He assumes you learn these things as a “mixologist”, because “bartender” is too _casual_ for her practice.

Ayame and Hatori laugh at that, because Shigure has never been the best at concealing his emotions. In fact, he could learn a thing or two from the men sitting next to him. Shigure has always worn his heart on his sleeve.

“Hey, can I buy you a drink?” Shigure purrs thoughtfully to the bartender ─ _mixologist_ ─ who offers a sweet smile at the gesture. It’s not his smoothest pick-up line, but he didn’t feel like dancing around his attraction anymore.

“I’d absolutely love that. Stereolab will still be open by the time I’m off, how does that sound?”

_Yeah, and then maybe we can go back to your place and kick it beneath the sheets._

Shigure knows better than to voice this out loud, but she doesn’t miss the way his eyes dart to her mouth that was painted bright red.

“Are we interrupting something here?” Hatori interjects, with no real judgment behind his tone.

“Oh, I believe we are, Hari-dear. It seems as though our little ‘Gure wants to have some fun with the pretty lady. They grow up so fast!”

It’s so _dramatic_ and they’re totally _killing_ his vibe now, but the damage is done. The mixologist ─ _cock_ tologist ─ offers the sweetest, most _endearing_ grin he’s ever seen and he _wonders_ ─ just wonders ─ how many other pretty ways her mouth could look. He’s nearly drooling at the thought.

“Alright, alright ─ say, what’s your name again?” Hatori asks, and Shigure silently thanks him for averting everyone’s attention to the woman they’ve paid hardly any attention to since they got here.

“I’m Shivy Volta, a pleasure to meet you!”

“Shivy Volta,” Hatori tries, getting a feel for the way it rolls off of his tongue, “sounds fake.”

And with that, Shivy pulls out a book from her apron and flips open to a page with an identification photo of our precious _Shivani_ Volta, and only Ayame and Shigure audibly cooed at the photograph.

“And would you look at that? Born in 1982, the year of the dog. I knew you were someone special, Shivy.” Shigure voices aloud (but no one can ignore the flirtatious wink he gives her), earning a wicked laugh from Ayame and a disapproving grunt from Hatori.

“Excuse Shigure, Miss Shivy, he doesn’t get out much.”

“Our lovely Shigure has only the best intentions, Shivy Volta!”

“Obviously you know who Shigure is, but I’m Hatori Sohma.”

“Ayame Sohma; lovely to meet your acquaintance, darling.”

“The pleasure is all mine, _really_ ─”

“No. It’s _our_ pleasure, ma chérie,” insist _both_ Ayame and Shigure in unison, as if this had been practiced many times before. Hatori, however, looks as if he were going to implode by secondhand embarrassment.

When did this turn into a date?

“When did this turn into a date?”

Hatori breaks the awkward silence ─ he is just so good at that. But it isn’t a date, you see, because Shigure (or Ayame?) haven’t even fully pinned their attraction to the cocktologist yet. It seems as if the two perverse men are thinking the same thing; maybe they could _both_ have a go at her. Maybe, _just maybe_ , they could have a go at her _at the same time_. Telepathically, of course, because such things are very rude to bring up in casual conversation.

“Are the three of you on a date? Oh, how cute! We have to send you a dessert! How long have you guys been together?”

While Shivy is confirming to herself that the three men before her _are,_ in fact, dating; Shigure is plotting Hatori’s demise. Hatori _knows_ that he is intentionally meddling in their personal affairs, but just can’t stop himself.

“Oh, we aren’t dating. Although I’m sure that would be quite the show, now wouldn’t it?” Ayame says thoughtfully with a tap to his chin and Shigure is able to visibly relax.

“Well, lucky for me, then.” Shivy says with a glance in Shigure’s direction before her attention was directed elsewhere.

↔↔

It’s another two hours before her last guests leave, and another thirty minutes to fully shut down her bar. It’s pushing 10:30 at this point, but Shigure was so kind to leave her his number because _IMeantWhatIsaid, LetMeBuyYouADrink,_ and, a personal favorite: _ShesMineNoOneElseCanHaveHerNotEvenYouAyame_! And so, well; here goes nothing:

 **Shivy,** 10:33 PM: hi there :)

 **Shivy,** 10:34 PM: it’s shivy, from the vine

 **Shigure,** 10:36 PM: This day just gets better and better.

 **Shigure,** 10:36 PM: I just kicked Ayame and Hatori out of Stereolab so we can have some privacy.

 **Shigure,** 10:36 PM: Although if privacy is what you want, we could just skip formalities and head straight back to yours ;)

 **Shigure,** 10:36: I’m sorry that was Ayame but I promise he’s leaving right now

Shivy smiles, _smiles,_ at his idiotic response. Her phone is bright in her face and illuminating the dumb smile that stood high and mighty on her face. She doesn’t even respond before she bounces her way to Stereolab, the bar she frequented for convenience and class. Both Shivy and Shigure make eye contact almost instantly, the dumbly large grin on her face growing that much more. He waves her over quickly, and offers a warm welcome once she sat down.

“Long time no see, did you miss me?” Shivy asks, leaving no subtlety behind her flirtatious tone.

“My heart longed for your return, cara mia.”

Despite the joking undertones, Shivy is flattered by Shigure’s quick-wit and easygoing personality. The bartender instantly recognizes Shivy and begins stirring up a concoction that requires minimal effort, and Shigure takes this time to notice her long and delicate fingers. They are plated with stacked rings and each of her nail is a different color. It’s subtle and quirky, he makes no comment.

Shivy learns that Shigure is a novelist and is heavily involved in academia, has a spiritual connection with dogs, and his favorite color is green. Shigure learns that Shivy _owns_ the restaurant they dined at, _owns_ a dog, and “Green is my favorite color, too! Forest green or neon green?”

But then the drastic palette difference made it difficult to compare the two, said Shigure; but Shivy took it a step further by pointing out that neon and earth tones were _entirely separate entities_ with _no business being pinned as the same._

Shigure is _convinced_ that this is what being in love is like. Shivy is reluctant to call it love because of a Few Bad Apples, but is willing to give Shigure a chance because she needs to “put herself out there”.

It’s nice; being able to talk freely with someone and have conversation with a like-minded individual. They briefly touch on topics such as philosophy and music when Shivy’s Favorite Bartender makes last call, the two of them so immersed with their dialogue to have even gotten through their first round. Shigure absolutely _insists_ on paying for their drinks, but it sounds like this:

“Oh, please let me pay. You guys spent so much money at my restaurant earlier! It’s the least I could do!”

“Now what kind of gentleman would I be to let you pay on the first date? Maybe I’ll let you next time.”

And with that statement, he booped her on the nose with the tip of his finger. Shigure _booped_ Shivy. The act alone stunned the bartender who placed Shigure’s change in front of him and caused a bright pink blush to spread across Shivy’s cheeks. Suddenly her palms began to feel a little sweaty.

“Next time, hm?” Shivy tries after she picks up the shards of her composure that were now scattered across the bartop.

“Next time; if you’ll have me.”

Shivy nearly stumbles at _that_ because how does he do it? He’s charming, he’s funny, and he’s polite ─ so what’s the catch?

It’s cold outside and there’s a bright neon green light with the words “Stereolab” on it above them, creating a hue of green over their faces.

“Which way are you heading?” Shigure asks, breaking the minute-long silence and pulling them both out of a trance.

“I live in East Village on the Northside.”

“Oh yeah? That isn’t too far a walk. May I?”

“You may.”

And so they walk. In silence, at first. The streetlights above them are the only reason they can even make out any real semblance of facial features on each other. Shigure playfully nudges Shivy with his elbow, as if to garner her attention. Her only response is looping her forearm through the opening of his arm, drawing him near (she wonders if that’s a smile on his face right now).

Their moment ends much too soon, since Shivy lives a ten-minute walk away, and she stops in front of the gate and removes her arm from his. It was only then that she realized how much taller Shigure was than her, which was unfair because she already stood at five-foot-eight.

“This is mine,” Shivy says with a slight tilt to her head, pondering Shigure’s dark facial features silently. He is really quite handsome, even under the moonlight and shade of the trees.

“It’s quite lovely,” Shigure compliments sweetly without making any effort to look _at_ her house, but continues to openly stare at the brunette beauty standing before him. Shivy obviously pulled her hair from the bun at some point, but doesn’t remember and it doesn’t _matter_ because of how _lovely_ she is.

“Well,” Shivy starts, reaching a hand out to rub his bicep ─ which is much fuller than she anticipated ─ “Until next time, then.”

“Goodnight, mon petit chou, I hope you have a restful sleep.”

Shigure bridges the gap between his chin and Shivy’s forehead, pressing a chaste kiss to the golden skin and pulling a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. He allows himself to linger for a moment.

Both Shivy and Shigure pray to whatever Unearthly Being that their ‘next time’ will be soon.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you guys appreciate this as much as i do  
> no beta so all mistakes are mine


End file.
